Justice News

Five Defendants Plead Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking Charges

Five defendantspled guilty in unrelated cases to methamphetamine trafficking charges in the Southern District of Florida.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

On January 18, 2018 and January 30, 2018, respectively, Saul Bustos Bustos, 38, and Irepan Juanchi Salgado, 24, each of Mexico, pled guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846. According to court records, the defendants met on November 28, 2017, with a DEA undercover officer in Miami to sell him five kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, at $14,500 per kilo. During the transaction, the defendants, who possessed a total of 3,717 grams of 98% pure crystal methamphetamine, worked together to transfer the drugs from their vehicle to the undercover officer. Bustos Bustos also pled guilty to illegal reentry after removal, after reentering the United States subsequent to removal on April 13, 2017, July 6, 2017, and July 19, 2017.

On January 31, 2018, Reitilly Fuentes Ramos, 32, of Miami-Dade County, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). According to court records, on October 25, Fuentes Ramos distributed 56.2 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine to a DEA confidential source. Following that transaction, the confidential source purchased an additional four ounces of crystal methamphetamine from Fuentes Ramos. During execution of a search warrant at the residence of Fuentes Ramos, agents seized four more ounces of crystal methamphetamine as well as distribution quantities of cocaine.

On January 30, 2018 and February 9, 2018, respectively, Jeremy Robert Macroy, 30, and Andrew Ronald Lord,38, each of Broward County, pled guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846. According to court records, Macroy and Lord facilitated the mailing of a UPS parcel from California to Hollywood, Florida, containing crystal methamphetamine. On November 15, 2017, Lord picked up the package, a portion of which he intended to distribute to Macroy. A search of the parcel revealed that it contained 430.3 grams of 98% pure methamphetamine.

At sentencing, Bustos Bustos and Juanchi Salgado face potential prison sentences of up to life imprisonment, to be followed by supervised release terms of at least five years on their respective narcotics convictions. Bustos Bustos also faces a maximum term of three years imprisonment, to be followed by up to three years supervised release, for his immigration violation. Bustos Bustos is scheduled to be sentenced before United States District Judge K. Michael Moore on March 29, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. A sentencing date for Juanchi Salgado has not been scheduled.

Fuentes Ramos faces a potential prison sentence of up to life imprisonment, to be followed by supervised release of at least five years. Fuentes Ramos is scheduled to be sentenced before United States District Judge K. Michael Moore on April 11, 2018, at 2:00 p.m.

Macroy and Lord face potential prison sentences of up to 40 years, to be followed by supervised release terms of at least four years. Macroy and Lord are scheduled to be sentenced before United States District Judge Beth Bloom on April 30, 2018, at 10:30 a.m., and April 24, 2018, at 2:30 p.m., respectively.

Mr. Greenberg commends the investigative efforts of DEA and ICE-HSI. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan K. Osborne.

This investigation and prosecution was carried out by members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The South Florida HIDTA, established in 1990, is made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies that, cooperatively, target the region’s drug-trafficking and money laundering organizations. The South Florida HIDTA is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy which sponsors a variety of initiatives focused the nation’s illicit drug trafficking threats.